City guide article

Driving Tips

• Drive on the right side of the road • Speed limits for both cars and motorcycles are consistent across the country: 50km/h in built-up areas; 90km/h on secondary roads; 110km/h on highways and 130km/h on motorways. Speeding will earn a fine between 5000Ft to 30,000Ft to be paid by postal cheque or at a post office. • It is the law to wear seatbelts in the front (and back if there is any). • Your headlights must be on throughout the day outside the built-up areas. • Parking costs up to 300Ft on the streets of Budapest (up to 600Ft on Castle Hill). Covered 24hr car parks usually charge around 370Ft to 680Ft and are located below the Millennium Centre at V Vaci utca 25 and V Szervita ter 8 where you can also find Avis Car Rental.

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Buses

Transportation

Metro

Budapest has three metro lines that only converge at Deak Ferenc ter. There is the Millennium line (M1) which runs from Voroamarty ter to Mexikoi ut in Pest. The M1 (yellow on the rail map) stops at Heroes Square (Hosok ter) and the Opera and is rich in history as the first underground rail line in Continental Europe. Keep in mind though that there is a stop on the M1 called ‘Vorosmarty ter’ with another, five stops after, called ‘Vorosmarty utca’. The M2, marked by a red line, runs from Deli ter in Buda to Ors vezer tere in Pest. The M3, marked in blue, runs from Ujpest-Kozpont to Kobanya-Kispest in Pest.

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Transportation

Taxi

If you can help it, don’t bother getting taxis in Budapest – the public transport system is fine. There have been one too many incidents of gross rip-offs of tourists by taxi drivers. The taxi firms listed at Budapest are some of the more reputable ones in the city. Avoid taxis with no name on their doors and ones that have a removable light on the cab – they’re just ordinary guys with a car and the most likely to rip you off. Always look for a yellow license plate and an identification badge on the dashboard (as required by law). Not all taxi meters have the same rates and some can be more expensive than others, however there are price ceilings that some firms can manoeuvre within. Be aware that residents rarely flag down a taxi on the street; it is a general practice to call for them and it actually works out to be cheaper if you do. Make sure you know the landline number you are calling from so the dispatcher can determine your whereabouts; a mobile phone will be harder for them to trace.

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Transportation

Car for Hire

You must be 21 years of age and have had your license for at least a year to rent a car in Budapest; drivers under 25 might have to pay a surcharge. All international car rental firms have offices in Budapest. If you intend to do a lot of driving in the city, plan your journey carefully as some streets are one-way or tough to drive through. One example is that you are not allowed to left in most of the crossings of the Nagykörút inner ring road or on the main avenues like Andrássy út, Váci út, Üllői út or Rákóczi út.

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